From Mohocks and from Hawkubites
Good Lord deliver me,
Who wander through the Streets by Night
Committing Cruelty.
They slash our Sons with Bloody knives,
And on our Daughters fall;
And if they ravish not our Wives,
We have good Luck withal.
Coaches and Chairs they overturn,
Nay Carts most easily;
Therefore from Gog and eke Magog
Good Lord, deliver me.
Public feeling on the matter, however, was so strong, that on March 17, 1712, the Queen issued a Royal Proclamation.
'Anne, R. The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty being watchful for the Publick Good of Her Loving Subjects, and taking notice of the great and unusual Riots and Barbarities which have lately been committed in the Night time, in the open Streets, in several parts of the Cities of London and Westminster, and Parts adjacent, by numbers of Evil dispos'd Persons, who have combined together to disturb the Publick Peace, and in an inhuman manner, without any Provocation, have Assaulted and Wounded many of her Majesty's good Subjects, and have had the Boldness to insult the Constables and Watchmen, in the Execution of their Office, to the great Terror of Her Majesty's said Subjects, and in Contempt and Defiance of the Laws of this Realm, to the Dishonour of Her Majesty's Government, and the Displeasure of Almighty God &c. &c. &c.... Her Majesty doth hereby promise and declare, That whosoever shall before the First Day of May now next ensuing discover to any of Her Majesty's Justices of Peace, any Person who, since the First Day of February last past, hath, without any Provocation, Wounded, Stabb'd or Maim'd, or who shall before the said First Day of May, without any Provocation, Wound, Stab, or Maim, any of Her Majesty's Subjects within the said Cities of London and Westminster, and Parts adjacent, so as such Offender be brought to Justice, shall have and receive the Reward of One Hundred Pounds, &c.'
THE WATCH.
Can the following advertisement have any possible relation to the midnight orgies of the Mohocks? Post Boy, Dec. 18/20, 1712: 'Lately found, several Pair of Stockings, some Night Caps, and several Pair of Shooes, with two Brazill Rolling Pins, and some Brass Knockers of Doors.'
Brass knockers evidently were attractive, for in 1714 we find a genius advertising, 'There is to be Sold at the Sign of the Plow on Fleet Ditch, New Fashion Brass Knockers of all Sizes that cannot be broke off so easily as any that have yet been made. However, this is to Satisfy all Gentlemen and others that do buy any of them, that if any should be broke off, upon their bringing me a Piece of that which I sold, I will give them gratis one as good and as large as they bought.'
The fright soon passed off, for we find Budgell[609] writing on April 8, 1712, that some began to doubt 'whether indeed there were ever any such Society of Men. The Terror which spread itself over the whole Nation some Years since, on account of the Irish, is still fresh in most Peoples Memories, tho' it afterwards appeared there was not the least Ground for that general Consternation. The late Panick Fear was, in the opinion of many deep and penetrating Persons, of the same Nature.' But there is no doubt there was a substratum of reality, mixed with a great deal of exaggeration.